Sheet indexing means



April 9, 1946. M. A. EMBERTSON SHEET INDEXING MEANS Filed May 9, 1945 A m m w.

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Patented Apr. 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l l 2,398,294 I i SHEET INDEXING MEANS MauriceA. Embertson, Chicago, Ill.

pplication May 9, 1945, Serial No. 592,816.

4 Claims.' (01283- 12) The invention relates to sheet indexing means for periodicals such as newspapers, magazines. pamphlets and the like, and has reference in particular to indexing means which will provide a readily accessible tab-like portion for the pages respectively whereby a'particular page may be readily located.

An object of the invention is to provide an improvement for newspapers and other periodicals which will permit the reader to readily locate any pages.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawing and claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, which illustrates an embodiment of the invention, and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a newspaper showing the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the invention in modified form; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a magazine illustrating the indexing means of the invention.

In the drawing, referring to Figure 1, the numeral l 0 indicates a newspaper or the like, the same having a slit or cut in each sheet to provide indexing means in accordance with the invention. Page 1 of the newspaper is provided with the slit or cut H, the second page with the slit l2, the third page with the slit [3, the fourth page with the slit [4, and so on until all the pages of the newspaper have been so cut.

The slits are preferably from one-half to threefourths of an inch in length and extend inwardly from the right hand edge of the newspaper with the slit being displaced with respect to the slits in the other pages so that the same are in stepped relation in the successive sheets or pages. By way of illustration if the slit on page 1 is twelve inches from the top of the paper, the slit on page 2 will be eleven and a half inches and the slit on page 3 eleven inches and so on. This disposition of slits will give a series of stepped portions for each page.

When the reader bends the right hand edgev of the newspaper in a downward direction for indexing purposes it will be observed that tab-like portions are formed as a result of the successive slits. Thus a tab-like portion .20 is provided including a part of and representing the second page, the same being formed by the slits II and I2. In a similar manner a tab-like portion 2| is formed on the third page by the slit l3 and a tab-. like portion 22 is also formed on page 4 as a result of the slit [4. The tab portions 23, 24 and 25 result from the slits I5, [6 and II, respectively. It will be seen that the tab portion 25 thus represents the last page'of the newspaper, whereas tab 20 represents the second page. Thus the reader may readily locate any page desired merely. by running his thumb upwardly of the stepped portions. If the thumb is brought to rest on the tab portion 24, for example, the page corresponding thereto is thus located and the paper can be opened to this selected page.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 2 the stepped arrangement is reversed, that is, the same extends downwardly of the newspaper instead of in an upward direction as illustrated in connection with Figure 1. The newspaper is provided with a plurality of successive slits in th various pages such as 3! in page 1, 32

i page 2, 33 in page .3, and 34; 35 and 36, in pages 4, 5 and 6, respectively. As described in connection with Figure 1, tab-like portions are formed when the right hand end of the newspaper, in which the slits are formed, is bent downwardly by the reader, the tab-like portion being formed by the slits 3i and 32. The tab M is similarly formed by the slit 33 and tabs 42, 43 and 44 vention. The various pages have the slits 5|, 52,

etc., formed therein and which extend inwardly from the right hand end of the page for approximately three-fourths of an inch, or one inch.

To utilize the indexing means the same procedure is followed as explained in connection with Figures 1 and 2. Tab-like portions are formed and in order to facilitate the indexing operation the invention contemplates the application of numerals to the tab-like portions for identifying the pages corresponding thereto. Thus the tab-like portion on the first page of the magazine has the numeral 1 applied thereto, as indicated by 56. The tab-like portion formed by the slits 5| and 52 thus corresponds to sheet 2 and the same therefore carries indicia 2-3, as indicated by 51. This indicia therefore indicates the second and third page of the magazine. The corresponding pages are likewise identified by similar indicia applied to the respective tab-like portions.

One of the main advantages of the invention is the ease with which the pages of a newspaper, periodical or the like may be turned. This feature is directly due to the facility with which the pages can be separated one from the other. The tab-like portions have utility when the pages are turned one by one and which may be accomplished without attention being paid to any indicia appearing on the tab-like portions. Said portions also have utility in the separation of the pages to find aparticular page, both features being broadly included. in the term indexing.

The invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the. drawing, as various other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims. 7

What is claimed is:

1. Indexing means for periodicals and the like, comprising a slit in each page thereof extending inwardly from the same edge of the periodical, and said slits being disposed in stepped relation in the successive pages, whereby tab-like portions are formed for the pages respectively when said edge of the periodical 1s deflected downwardly for indexing purposes.

2. Indexing means for periodicals and the like, comprising a slit in each page extending inwardly approximately three-quarters of an inch from the right hand edge of the periodical, and said slits being disposed in stepped relation in the successive pages, whereby tab-lik portions are formed as a result of the slits and which are representative of the pages respectively when said edge of the periodical is deflected downwardly for indexing purposes.

3. Indexing means of the character described, comprising a slit in each page of a newspaper,

"magazine or the like extending inwardly from the right hand edge of the same, the slit in the first page being located approximately midway of the sheet and the slit in the second page being displaced about one-half an inch with respect thereto, th slits in the remaining pages also being displaced in like manner whereby the slits are disposed in stepped relation in the successive pages so that tab-like portions are formed for the pages respectively when said edge of the periodical is deflected downwardly for indexing purposes.

4. Indexing means for periodicals and the like, comprising a slit in each page extending inwardly approximately one inch from the right hand edge of the periodical, said slits being disposed in stepped relation in the successive pages, whereby tab-like portions are formed as a result of the slits and which are representative of the pages respectively when said edge of the periodical is deflected downwardly for indexing purposes or for turning each page individually, and indicia appearing on said tab-like portions respectively for identifying the pages corresponding thereto.

MAURICE A. ENIBERTSON. 

